Chapter 1
The ringing of the phone echoed through the house. Seven-year-old Jack put his toy dragon down on the floor, stood up and left his bedroom to find his grandfather. Walking down the stairs and into the living room, Jack found his grandfather, Artemis, asleep in the recliner.
“Grampa Art! Grampa Art!” Jack said as he shook his grandfather’s shoulder. “Grampa Art! Wake up!”
Artemis slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times before looking over at Jack. He cleared his throat.
“What is it, Jack?” he asked.
“Grampa Art! The phone!” said Jack.
Artemis finally noticed the sound of the phone ringing in the other room. He stood up from the chair and let out a slight moan as he stretched. He gave Jack’s head a quick pat before walking to the kitchen to answer the phone. Artemis cleared his throat just before picking up the receiver.
“Hello?” he said, in a gravelly voice. “Yes, this is he.”
A moment passed before his expression changed. He slowly walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. His voice quivered with his next words.
“Are you sure?” asked Artemis.
A few more moments when by. A tear rolled down his cheek. He cleared his throat again as he wiped the tear away.
“I’ll make the arrangements. Thank you.” he said.
Artemis hung up the phone and then returned to the seat at the kitchen table. The tears began to flow as he placed his head in his hands. Jack peeked his head into the kitchen and saw Artemis silently weeping at the kitchen table. He slowly approached his grandfather and placed his hand on Artemis’s forearm.
“Grampa Art, what’s wrong?” said Jack. “Why are you crying?”
Artemis turned to Jack, pulled his chair out, picked him up and placed him on his lap. He then wrapped his arms around Jack, holding him tightly. He cleared his throat once again as he softly spoke to Jack.
“Jack, there’s something I need to tell you. Mommy and Daddy were in an accident. It was a very bad accident.” he said.
Jack started to tremble.
“Are they okay?” Jack asked.
Artemis shook his head.
“No, Jack... no. I’m so sorry, Jack. They were hurt really bad and...”
Artemis’s voice started to shake.
”...they’re gone, Jack. They died.”
Jack sat there in a daze. His ears had shut out all sound other than the beating of his own heart. Thoughts of his mother and father filled his mind, and the realization that he would never see them again suddenly hit him. Tears began pouring from his eyes. But though he was crying, he didn’t make a sound. He just sat there in Artemis’s lap as the tears silently rolled down his cheeks.
#####
The days leading up to the funeral passed by in a fog. Artemis found himself preoccupied with the funeral and burial arrangements, leaving Jack alone in his thoughts. As the day of the funeral grew closer, Jack found himself crying less and less, and by the time the funeral day came, Jack was left with a general feeling of numbness. He had cried all of the tears he was going to cry, and had come to accept the loss of his parents. It wouldn’t be until much later that Jack would realize that even while Artemis was preoccupied with all of the funeral arrangements and his own grief, he was always watching over Jack.
The day after the funeral, Artemis called Jack into the kitchen.
“Jack, come here. There’s something I want to show you.” he said.
Jack walked into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table. Artemis then took out a small leather pouch from his pocket and placed it on the table. He removed the string keeping the pouch closed to reveal a number of colored stones. Each stone was about the size of a quarter and looked like opaque gemstones. There were six different colors of stone. There were two red ones, a blue one, a green one, a yellow one, a white one and a black one. He arranged them on the table in front of Jack.
“Jack. Do you remember those stories I told you about the other world? The one with elves and beastfolk and dragons and magic?” he asked.
Jack nodded while continuing to stare at the stones on the table.
“Do you like those stories?” asked Artemis.
Again, Jack nodded, but this time with a slight smile.
Artemis picked up one of the stones.
“Then let’s call these story stones. Let me show you how they work.”
Artemis placed one of the red stones in the center of his palm and closed his hand. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his hand, the stone was gone. Jack was surprised to see that the stone had disappeared.
“Wow! Is that magic?” Jack said.
“Something like that,” said Artemis, with a slight grin. “Now it’s your turn. Place each stone in the palm of your hand, hold them tight, and close your eyes. For each stone you can make disappear, I will tell you a new story.”
Jack got excited and picked up one of the stones. He placed it in the center of his palm, closed his hand and then closed his eyes tightly. After a moment, he opened his eyes and then opened his hand. The stone was gone.
“I did it!” said Jack.
A smile beamed across Jack’s face. It was the first time that Artemis had seen Jack smile since the death of his parents.
“Very good, Jack! Now try another one.” he said.
Jack picked up the next stone, placed it in his hand, closed it and then closed his eyes. Once again, when he opened them, he saw that the stone had vanished. Jack’s smile grew bigger. Artemis smiled, as well.
“Keep going, Jack.” said Artemis.
Jack repeated the routine with the next stone, and then the next and the next one, until all six stones had disappeared. Artemis was visibly surprised.
“Remarkable, Jack! That’s absolutely remarkable! Not many can make all six stones vanish. You’re very special.” he said.
At that point, Jack was smiling from ear to ear.
“That’s six stories, Grampa Art!” said Jack.
“Yes, it is. And I’ll be happy to tell them to you. But first, you need to go wash up for dinner. Then we can start on the first story.” he replied.
Jack hopped off of his chair and ran to the bathroom to go wash up for dinner. Artemis stood up and walked to the refrigerator to get everything he needed to start cooking. As he pulled the ingredients out of the fridge, he began talking to himself as he smiled.
“Six attributes. Incredible. Who would of thought that he would have an affinity for all six magical attributes? Simply incredible.” he said.
#####
Once dinner was ready, Jack practically inhaled his food, filled with anticipation at the new stories about the world filled with elves and fairies and beastfolk and dragons and magic. Each night, the routine continued. Jack would make all six stones vanish and Artemis would tell him six stories. This nightly routine continued all the way up until Jack graduated from high school. As he got older, Jack even tried to see how many of each stone he could make disappear at a time. By the time he graduated high school, Jack was able to make six of each stone disappear at once. And he so enjoyed the stories that Artemis told him that he began recording and transcribing them, so he could revisit them whenever he wanted. After he graduated high school, his fascination with magic led to a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Upon graduating college, the sense of honor and service that were common in the stories told by his grandfather led to Jack enlisting in the US Army, as an officer, thanks to his college education, where he eventually earned a Ranger tab and quickly rose to the rank of Major. He would often tell the many stories he had recorded to the men and women under his command, earning him the nickname of “The Bard”. Throughout his time in military service, he never failed to stay in touch with Artemis in between missions.
Chapter 2
It was just after returning from a month-and-a-half long extended mission, a mission that Jack had decided would be his last one before retiring from military service, that Jack received a small package in the mail from his grandfather. He opened the package, and inside he found a smaller package and an envelope. He opened the envelope first and pulled out the letter. He read it out loud to himself.
“My dearest grandson:
I hope this letter finds you in good health. I can never fully express the pride I have for you for the man you have become. I write this letter while you are still off on your mission, and by the time you read it, you will have already reached your 35th birthday. That will make you one year older than your mother and father when they passed. There were many things that I had hoped to pass onto them when they reached this age, but it was not to be. But now I am proud to be able to pass these things onto you. Contained in the small package, you will find two sets of keys. The first set you will likely recognize. They are the keys to our house in the hills where you grew up. The second set of keys is to a small cupboard in the basement. Inside that cupboard, you will find a small chest containing some things I’m sure you will find of interest. I would tell you what they are, but why spoil the surprise? Let’s just say that the contents may send you on a small quest. Nothing so extravagant as the ones I used to speak of in the stories I’ve shared with you over the years, but still, a quest nonetheless. And speaking of quests, I have decided to go on my own quest. Not to battle dragons or anything of that sort, so you need not fear for me. I just felt that it was about time for me to see everything this world has to offer, and even at the ripe old age of nearly 200 years old, I figure there’s no better time than the present to do so...”
Jack chuckled at the joke of his grandfather’s age. As far back as he can remember, it was a recurring joke that Artemis had told him as he was growing up. The letter continued.
“I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you when I return from my epic quest, which hopefully includes a lot of first-class travel and high-end hotels whenever possible. I’ll be sure to buy you a souvenir or two along the way.
All my love,
Artemis.”
Jack let out another chuckle, imagining his grandfather, dressed in full garb of the characters in his many stories over the years, sitting in a first-class seat on an airplane, getting stares from everyone around him. He then thought about the house where he had grown up, remembering that he had often asked Artemis about what was in that little cupboard in the basement, only to be told that he’d find out when he was older. He couldn’t deny that he was a little bit excited to finally find out what was in there. He opened the small package and removed the sets of keys. He looked at them briefly before placing them in his pocket.
Just as he folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope, he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door to find the battalion commander of his unit standing there.
“Colonel Brandt! What can I do for you, sir?” said Jack, as he stood at attention in the doorway.
“At ease, Major. I just came by to congratulate you on another successful operation and say that we’re all going to miss you around here when you leave. Especially those stories you always tell. I also wanted to hand you these. Your exit papers have all been filed. Here are your copies.” said Colonel Brandt.
Colonel Brandt handed him the envelope with his exit papers.
“Thank you, sir.” said Jack.
Colonel Brandt peeked into Jack’s quarters, looking at the single duffel bag packed in the corner. He grinned as he looked back at Jack.
“All packed, I see.” said the colonel.
“Yes, sir.” said Jack.
“From what I hear, your unit is throwing you a bit of a retirement party of sorts.” said Colonel Brandt, still grinning.
“Yes, sir. But how did you hear about that?” asked Jack.
Colonel Brandt patted his jacket over his shirt pocket.
“They were kind enough to include me in the invitation list. I’m actually looking forward to it.” he said.
Jack tilted his head upon hearing that.
“Really? I mean no offense, sir, but in all the time I’ve served under you, you’ve never really struck me as the party type.” said Jack.
“I could say the same thing about you, Major.” said the colonel.
Jack shrugged.
“Then I guess it looks like we can both be a little bit uncomfortable for a while. You know... for the sake of the troops.” said Jack.
“Exactly, Major. For the sake of the troops.” replied the colonel.
They both nodded as they smiled. Colonel Brandt then gestured down the hallway.
“Shall we head over to there now?” he asked.Jack stepped out of his quarters and closed the door behind him.
“Lead the way, sir.” said Jack.
The two of them walked down the hallway towards the entertainment room where the party was going to take place. Colonel Brandt turned to Jack as they walked.
“Oh. And by the way. I saw on your discharge paperwork that it was your birthday last week. Happy belated birthday, Jack.” he said.
“Thank you, Colonel.” said Jack.
#####
The party went on for several hours. Fun was had by everyone there, even Jack and the Colonel. A few gifts were given and Jack told one last story to the men and women in his unit. When the party ended, Jack returned to his quarters, placed the gifts into his duffel bag, placed it by the door and then got ready for bed.
#####
The next morning, Jack grabbed his bag, said his final good byes to his subordinates and colleagues and caught a taxi to the air field. From there, he caught a military transport back to the United States, and then a commercial flight and a long drive later, he finally arrived at the house where he grew up. By then, it was fairly late, so he grabbed a quick bite to eat, took a shower and then went to bed.
#####
The next morning, Jack woke up, unpacked his things, did a quick workout and then had some breakfast. As he did the dishes, he looked over at the door to the basement. Today was the day he was going to finally see what was in that little cupboard. He couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. He placed the last dish on the dish rack, dried off his hands and then went to the bedroom to grab the keys his grandfather had sent him. As he made his way down the basement stairs, he felt a sense of giddiness, like a young child heading down the stairs to look at the gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. He made his way over to the cupboard. He fiddled with the keys until he fit it into the lock and unlocked the cupboard door. He opened the door, and just as the letter his grandfather sent him said, there was a small chest, about the size of a shoebox, sitting on the bottom shelf. The chest looked like the typical treasure chest one might see in a movie or a fantasy game, with iron trim and hinges on a dark wooden box, leather straps on each side of the front latch and a small locked padlock securing the latch in place. Jack picked up the small chest and carried it back upstairs to the kitchen. It was a bit lighter than he had expected it to be. He placed it down on the kitchen table and sat down to get a closer look at it. He looked at the padlock for a moment and then back at the key set he had just used to unlock the cupboard. Inside a small rubber sleeve attached to the key ring, Jack found the tiny key that looked like it would fit into the padlock on the chest. He pulled the key from the sleeve and inserted it into the opening on the padlock. He took a slow deep breath in before turning the key. When he did, he heard that satisfying click of the padlock unlocking. He carefully took it off the latch, undid the leather straps and opened the chest. Inside the chest, he found an old map, a compass, a peculiar-looking key and an envelope. He opened the envelope and found another letter written to him by Artemis. He read it.
“Jack,
By the time you read this letter, I will be gone. And when I say gone, hopefully I mean gone on my round trip around the world and not a one-way trip to the Great Beyond. Because that would be rather unfortunate. For you, too, but mostly for me. The map you see included in this chest is the way to a secret that has been kept by this family all the way back to the days when I was a child. I know you are aware of the rather vast amount of land on which this house sits, and you would spend many hours playing in the forest as a child, but the land belonging to our family goes even further than you may think. The location marked on that map should be about a day’s hike from the house, so I have prepared a pack with all of the things you may need for your hike there. You can find it in the hall closet. It’s a bit heavy for me, but nothing you shouldn’t already be used to from your time in the Army. When you reach the spot on the map, use the enclosed key. There is so much more I want to tell you, but that will have to wait until I get back. In the meantime, enjoy your new quest, young warrior, and good luck.
Artemis”
Jack placed the letter back in the envelope and took out the map. He unfolded it and studied it carefully. He was surprised to see just how much property his grandfather owned. What he thought would have been measured in acres turned out to be measured in square miles. He couldn’t imagine how much that it cost to purchase that amount of property, but he figured that he would just ask Artemis about it once he returned from his trip. He examined the terrain leading toward the marked location and realized that he was in for far more than a leisurely stroll through the woods to get there. He placed everything from the chest onto the kitchen table and then walked to the hall closet to retrieve the backpack. When he opened the closet door, he saw the rather large backpack leaning against the back wall of the closet, partially concealed by the various coats hung on the rail. He move the coats out of the way and pulled the backpack out. As he did so, he noted the weight of the pack.
“Holy crap! What’s in this thing? Dumbbells and bricks?” he said.
He brought the backpack into the living room, opened it and removed all of the contents to inventory all of the gear. It was something he had done many times before a mission while he was in the Army, so it had become almost a habit. The backpack included everything he might need for a difficult hike. It was almost obsessively thorough. There was rope and climbing gear, fishing gear, cooking gear, a rather comprehensive first aid kit, the usual camping gear, flashlights, rechargeable batteries, a solar-powered charger, a few MRE military food rations, some handheld radios, a takedown rifle and ammunition, a few knives, rain gear, a water filter and various odds and ends. Jack was impressed at just how thorough his grandfather had been in packing the backpack.
“Wow,” he said, “Grampa Art could give the supply guys in the Rangers a run for their money. You’d think I was getting deployed again with all of this.”
Jack slowly and carefully placed everything back into the backpack. Looking at the clock on the wall, Jack noticed that a few hours had passed since breakfast and it was already after noon, so he set the backpack by the door and decided to start his hike the next morning. He spent the rest of the day studying the map before eating dinner and hitting the sack soon after, in preparation for an early morning start.
#####
When the next morning came, Jack dressed for the hike. He wore black cargo pants, hiking boots, a light gray t-shirt, and a dark gray button-up shirt with extra pockets on the upper sleeves. Given that the temperature in the area had started to get cooler, he figured the darker colors would help him to absorb any heat from the sunlight, helping him keep warm. He rolled up a lightweight trenchcoat and secured it to the backpack. He walked over to the gun safe, opened it up and took out an old Colt 1911 .45 caliber handgun, a holster, a few extra magazines and an extra box of ammunition. He wanted to be prepared in the event he ran into any wolves, bears or mountain lions on the hike. A rule he had always lived by was that it is better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. He put the holster on his belt and placed the extra magazines and the ammo boxes in the backpack. He made himself a quick breakfast, filled a canteen with water, placed the map, compass and key in his pocket, picked up the backpack and left the house, locking the door behind him.
#####
The hike was surprisingly difficult, but save the occasional distant sighting of a number of wild animals on the property, it was otherwise uneventful. Jack was still glad that his time in the military kept him in decent shape, because without that steady training and exercise, he likely would have found himself exhausted long before reaching the point marked on the map. The spot indicated on the map brought Jack to the base of a twenty-foot-tall cliff face. Not knowing exactly what he was looking for, Jack began to explore the area. After about ten minutes of exploring, he came across a spot in the cliff that was concealed by a rusted wire mesh covered in rocks and plants. When he moved it aside, he found an opening in the cliff face and a stairwell leading down. He pulled a flashlight from his backpack and headed into the opening.
#####
The stairwell was carved out of the rock, and as Jack made his way further down, he noticed several old torches mounted to the walls. They looked centuries old. Jack found himself getting more and more excited to see what was at the bottom of the stairway. When he finally reached the bottom, he was met by a large wooden door held together with iron bars and rivets. Jack noticed the keyhole by the handle and recalled the odd key that had been included in the chest from the cupboard. He reached into his pocket and took out the key. He carefully inserted it into the lock and turned it. He heard the heavy clanking sound of the locking mechanism disengaging. He removed the key, grabbed the handle and pushed at the door. It didn’t move and he ended up walking face first into it. He then looked over toward the edge of the door and saw the hinges. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he gently pulled the handle. The door opened.
“Smooth move there, Ranger. Glad no one saw that.” he said to himself before walking through the doorway.
Just to his left as he entered the room, he saw a small wooden lever. Next to it, was a wood plaque that said “off” and “on” on it. It was written in his grandfather’s handwriting. He moved the lever to “on”. Suddenly, stones embedded in the walls of the room began to glow, filling the room with a soft amber light. Jack grinned.
“Heh. Cool.” he said.
As the light grew brighter, Jack shut off the flashlight and put it in his pocket. He began looking around the room. To his left, there was a workbench with various pieces of odd looking equipment. To his right was a series of baskets, each containing a number of the colored stones Artemis had given to Jack before telling him stories. Jack smiled as he approached the baskets. He picked up a number of the stones, placed them in the palm of his hand, closed his hand, closed his eyes and then opened them. The stones had vanished from his hand.
“Ha! Still got it.” he said.
On the far end of the room was an archway leading further in. He took a brief peek through the archway, seeing nothing but darkness, before exploring the room he was in a bit more. He approached the bench with the equipment on it and started to examine it. Along with the equipment, he saw an old leather-bound book. He opened the cover of the book and found a photograph tucked inside. When he looked at the photo, he saw his grandfather as a young man, standing with an older man that appeared to be Artemis’s father. They were standing at the top of the stairway by the cliff face. Jack flipped the photograph over and noticed writing in the corner. It said, “Father and I. Guardians of the gate. April 12, 1907”.
“No way,” said Jack. “That can’t be the right date. That would make him...”
Jack tried to do the math in his head.
”...really old. Like really really old. Like not joking about his age old.”
Jack made a mental note to ask his grandfather about that photo when he returned from his trip. He then began to flip through the pages of the book. He saw various sketches and a language he was unfamiliar with. A few things were written in English in the margins on a number of pages. Most of the things written in English were in Artemis’s handwriting. From what Jack was able to decipher, the book appeared to be an instruction manual on how to create the various colored stones, which, according to the book, were called affinity stones.
As Jack continued to flip through the book, trying to figure out the true purpose of the stones, he heard the sound of rocks shifting and collapsing from the tunnel beyond the archway on the far end of the room. As he approached the archway, he heard what sounded like distant muffled explosions, almost like the sounds of a far away battle being fought.
With his curiosity piqued, Jack took out his flashlight, turned it on and slowly made his way down the tunnel. The further down the tunnel he got, the louder the sounds of battle became. Halfway down the tunnel, Jack was met with some resistance, as if he was suddenly walking through chest-deep water. He pushed forward, feeling momentarily dizzy before the resistance faded. Soon he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. The sounds of battle grew even louder. When he exited the tunnel, he found himself in the remains of what looked like some sort of ancient temple. Just as he began to look around, the floor beneath him collapsed, and he found himself tumbling downward.
Chapter 3
Archers on the western ridge of the canyon drew their strings back, generating glowing energy arrows from their bows, preparing to fire another volley at the approaching pack of draphnir, grotesque-looking creatures with spines down their backs, sharp black claws, speckled gray skin, deep blood-red eyes and patches of thick wiry fur. Blue blood flew as the glowing yellow arrows pierced their flesh. Lia, commander of the Vedyrian Army, shouted out orders to the troops from the front line.
“Archers! Prepare for another volley! Mages! Keep those shields strong! Give the healers time to recover the wounded! Don’t let the Dark Army gain any ground!” she said, as she deflected an incoming dark arrow with her sword.
At the other end of the canyon, the Dark Army prepared to fire another volley of dark energy at the Vedyrian Army. Several squads of the Demonborne moved massive red crystals mounted on carts to the center of their ranks. They directed the points of the crystals toward the Vedyrian Army and a team of necromancers gathered behind each crystal and placed their staffs on them, charging them with dark magic. An archer from the Vedyrian side spots the crystals being charged and calls to the commander.
“Commander! Triple C’s!” he yelled.
“How many?” asked Lia.
“Three!” he yelled back.
“Dear gods! Fall back! Fall back!” Lia said as the Vedyrian forces began to retreat.
The archer fired an arrow into one of the Demonborne, causing them to fall, shifting one of the crystals off course and causing it to discharge before it is fully charged. The massive sphere of energy impacted the side of the canyon in between the two armies, striking near the ruins of an old temple carved into the wall, causing stones to shift violently. The Vedyrian Army continued to fall back as the archers attempted to provide cover fire. Lia yelled to the mages.
“Prepare to bring up the shields. Give them everything you’ve got! If we get hit with just one of those cannon bursts, we’re done!” she yelled.
As they continued to fall back and the mages begin work to raise the magic barriers, Lia looks over to the temple ruins that had just been struck. There she saw someone tumbling down the hill from the temple. The bag he had on his back went flying and landed against the opposite wall of the canyon. Just as he reached the canyon floor, the Dark Army fired two of the three crystal cannons. Lia watched as the person slowly stood up, dazed from the fall. She looked up to see the massive spheres of energy from the cannons beginning to arch toward the stranger.
“They’re headed straight for him.” she said.
She tried to get his attention.
“You there! Run! Run!” she yelled.
Jack slowly stood up, shook his head and looks around. He looked behind him to see a woman in the distance yelling at him and pointing. He turned to see what she was pointing at and he saw the massive energy spheres heading right for him.
“Holy hell!” Jack said as he raised his hands reflexively.
Suddenly, Jack’s hands began to glow. The spheres seemed to become attracted to him, speeding up as they approached. In a moment that surprised all on the battlefield, Jack started to absorb the energy of the massive spheres. His whole body began to glow and bolts of energy started cascading from his hands and arms. As he absorbed the energy, glowing purple cracks appeared to form along his arms, leading all the way up to his chest. As the cracks worked their way along his arms, the sleeves of his long sleeve shirt began to char and burn away, flaking off like the burning pages of a newspaper in a bonfire. The battlefield fell silent as both sides stood there in shock at this stranger who just took two direct hits from the crimson crystal cannons and was still breathing. At that point, Jack’s entire body was glowing a deep purple hue. He turned his head and faced Lia for a moment. She saw a look of fear and confusion on his face. His eyes glowed brightly as he turned back toward the Dark Army. He dropped to his knees, in a significant amount of pain. A sphere of energy began to appear in front of his chest. The sphere was black in the center, with purple and deep red vapors emitting from it. It began to grow in front of him. He let out a yell as the sphere discharged, growing outward in a cone of energy that engulfed the entirety of the canyon where the Dark Army stood. The glow was blinding. Lia and the soldiers of the Vedyrian Army shielded their eyes. As the blinding light faded, Lia looked up to see Jack slumped over, still on his knees before fully collapsing to the ground.
“That’s not possible.” she said.
As she and the rest of her army stood and looked down the canyon, they saw that the place where the Dark Army once stood was now a mile-long trail of ash, glowing stone and sand turned to blackened glass, all coming to a point right in front of Jack. She stood up, wiped the dust off of her armor and began to cautiously approach Jack. Captain Alivair, Lia’s second in command, saw her approaching Jack and ran to her.
“Be careful, Commander! We don’t know what it is, yet!” said Alivair.
“It’s OK, Captain. I’ll be careful.” she said as she got closer. She could see smoke still rising from his shirt where the sleeves had burned away.
When she reached Jack, she walked carefully around him in order to get a look at his face. She knelt down and rolled him onto his back. Jack briefly looked at her before losing consciousness.
Captain Alivair looked shocked after getting a look at Jack’s face.
“He’s... he’s human!” he said.
Lia looked up at Alivair.
“And he’s still alive. Bring the healers.” she replied.
Alivair seemed confused.
“But, Commander, we don’t know anything about this... human.” he said.
Lia gestured toward the now smoldering path where the Dark Army once stood.
“We know that he did that to the Dark Army, Captain. And, as impossible as this whole thing looks, he saved us. Now get the healers over here.” said Lia.
“Yes, Commander.” said Alivair.
Alivair raised his hand to call the healers forward.
“Bring a stretcher!” he said, before looking down at Jack, “And bring the suppression collar!”
Lia gave Alivair a stern look. Alivair gave her a slight shrug in response.
“Better to be safe than sorry, Commander.” he said.
The healers arrived, along with a number of soldiers carrying a stretcher. They loaded Jack onto the stretcher.
Alivair turned to Lia.
“Where do you think he came from?” he asked.
Lia looked up at the temple ruins.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d guess he came from the temple.” she said.
Alivair looked up at the temple ruins.
“You mean the old Worldgate temple? You think he’s an Otherworlder? But that temple has been inactive and abandoned for almost two hundred years.” he said.
He then looked back at Lia.
“So... what now?” he asked.
Lia watched as they loaded Jack onto the stretcher before looking at the path burned into the canyon.
“For now, we return to camp and tend to our wounded. And when he wakes up... if he wakes up, hopefully we can get some answers. Just to be safe, though, let’s send some scouts to check out the area.” said Lia.
“Yes, ma’am.” said Alivair.
Jack and the wounded soldiers were loaded up onto stretchers and brought to what could best be described as ambulance carriages to be transported back to camp. The biggest difference between Jack and the wounded was that Jack was the only one wearing that suppression collar. The journey back to the base camp took two days. Jack remained unconscious for the journey. Once they arrived at camp, Jack was taken to a tent where he was placed under guard.
Chapter 4
Jack’s eyelids felt like they were made of lead when he tried to open them. As the light began to reach his eyes, he noticed a familiar sound of purring. Almost reflexively, he reached his right hand out. He felt fur and began to gently stroke it. The purring grew a bit louder. Once he fully opened his eyes, he lifted his head, which, much like his eyelids, felt like it was made of lead. When he looked to where his hand was petting, he saw a humanoid feline figure with its head resting on the edge of the bed, sleeping. The feline figure slowly opened its eyes and looked over to Jack.
“Hi there.” said Jack.
“Hi.” said the feline figure in a sleepy voice.
“You remind me of a cat I used to have when I was younger.” said Jack.
“Nice,” said the feline figure, right before its eyes opened wide and its pupils dilated fully.
“You’re awake! You’re awake! He’s awake!” it said, and then jumped to its feet and ran out of the tent.
Jack could hear it yelling “He’s awake!” over and over again as the voice faded into the distance. He took a look around, first looking at his arms, which were bandaged from the tips of his fingers up to his upper chest. He was lying on an actual mattress as opposed to a cot. There was a blanket covering him and a pillow beneath his head. He looked to his right and saw the chair where the feline figure had been sitting. Further on was a small desk with a second chair. Leaning against the desk was his backpack. As he looked around, he noticed how roomy the tent really was. It was slightly larger than the living room of his childhood home. There were small glowing crystals in light fixtures all around the tent, similar to the crystals Jack had seen in the cavern.
As the mental fog fully lifted, Jack saw the front flap of the tent open up. The daylight from outside the tent was momentarily blinding. Two silhouettes appeared in the bright light and then entered the tent. As his eyes readjusted to the light inside the tent, the silhouettes gained form. The first figure he noticed was the humanoid feline. It stood about four feet ten inches tall. Getting a better look at it, he noticed that it was wearing a burgundy colored vest and a long denim blue colored skirt. A tail was visible at the base of the skirt. This, along with the feminine figure led Jack to conclude that it was a female feline. Around her waist, she had a wide brown leather belt with a dagger in a sheath on each hip. The second figure caused him to momentarily flash back to the canyon where, after he had absorbed that massive amount of magical energy, he had turned to see the woman now standing before him. She was about five foot nine, had bright blonde hair, almost the color of polished gold, and her eyes were a soft shade of lavender. She was clad in impressively intricate and ornate armor, with an equally ornate sword hanging from the black leather belt around her slender waist. As she brushed her hair behind her ear, Jack noticed that the tip of her ear came to a point. Needless to say, he was slightly confused.
The woman spoke.
“I heard that you were awake.” she said.
Jack nodded and then looked over at the feline.
“With the way she was yelling, I think pretty much everyone heard that I was awake.” he said with a grin.
The feline turned her head away in embarrassment.
The woman smiled.
“Yes. You may be right. How do you feel?” she asked.
Jack took a moment to evaluate himself. He looked at his bandaged hands and arms.
“I’m not entirely sure. I can’t really feel my hands or arms. They’re completely numb. Everything else... kinda hurts.” he said.
“That doesn’t seem that surprising, given what you’ve been through. Though, what is surprising is that you weren’t immediately vaporized when those two triple-C shots came down right on top of you.” said Lia.
“Triple-C’s?” asked Jack.
“Crimson crystal cannons.” said Lia, “They’re...”
Jack interrupted.
“Let me guess. They’re cannons controlled by a crimson-colored crystal. Am I correct? Wow. that was a lot of C-words. I can see why you call them triple-C’s.”
Lia smiled.
“Yes, indeed. Now, I’m sure you have many questions, but first, introductions. I am Lia, commander of the Vedyrian Army, and this is Crescia, my attendant.” she said.
“Uh... hi. I’m Jack.” he said.
“Hello, Jack. It is nice to meet you. So, do you have any questions?” asked Lia.
Jack took a deep breath.
“Yeah. What happened? Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I covered in bandages? What’s the deal with this collar? Are you an elf? And, um, since when do military commanders have attendants?” Jack paused for a moment.“Yeah. That’s a good start.”
Lia’s eyes widened at the sudden machine gun-like barrage of questions. Crescia chuckled, leaned toward Lia and whispered.
“You did ask, your Highness.” she said.
Lia leaned back to Crescia.
“I certainly did.” she said.
Lia walked over to the chair next to Jack’s bed and sat down.
“As far as what happened, that’s a bit of a complicated question, so we’ll put that one aside for the moment. As for where you are, you’re currently in the main camp for the Vedyrian Army, which, for the time being, is set up on the outer edges of the Kupari province, one of the most eastern territories in the Vedyrian Kingdom. You got here because we picked you up from the battlefield and brought you here while you were unconscious. You’re covered in bandages because of the damage you sustained on the battlefield that our healers appear to be unable to fully heal. The collar is intended to stabilize and suppress your magic because it was highly unstable when we found you. Yes, I am, in fact, an elf. And...”
Crescia interrupted.
“I’ll take that last one. I’m an attendant serving the Crown Princess of the Vedyrian Kingdom.” she said, as she gestured toward Lia.
Jack’s eyebrows raised in surprise at that last part.
“So... you’re the commander of the army and a princess, huh?” he asked.
Lia nodded.
“Cool.” he said.
Jack’s eyebrows lowered as he started to process what she had said.
“Vedyrian Kingdom. Why does that sound familiar? Of course. The stories that Grampa Art used to tell me. She’s gorgeous. Cat’s kind of weird. This must be a dream. I probably fell at the bottom of that tunnel, hit my head and now I’m having this dream as I lay unconscious at the bottom. But I don’t recall ever having a dream that hurt this much. This collar’s uncomfortable. I hope I can get it off once my magic stabilizes... Wait. My magic?” he thought.
Jack turns to Lia.
“I’m sorry, but did you say magic?” he said.
Lia nodded.
“Yes. Magic of the likes I’ve never seen before, in fact. Let alone magic from a human Otherworlder.” she responded.
Crescia chimed in.
“From what I heard, you kind of redesigned the landscape. That canyon used to have twists and turns. Now it’s a straight shot all the way to the end.” she said, gesturing with her hand to imitate the twists and turns and then the straight line.
Jack furrowed his brow again in confusion.
“Otherworlder? What’s an Otherworlder?” he asked.
“Someone from the other world, silly. You’d think that the name was pretty obvious.” Crescia said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“Now, Crescia, I’m sure that he’s just as confused as we are. There’s no need for that.”
Lia turned to Jack.
“Otherworlder is a term that we use for people who have passed through a Worldgate, like the one in the temple ruins you came from. There are a number of gates around this world. Few are active, but most are not. The one you traveled through had been inactive for almost two hundred years. Only those with some affinity for magic are able to pass through the gates. Do you know what types of magic you have an affinity for, Jack?” she asked.
“To be totally honest, um, Princess? Your Majesty? Sorry. What do I call you?” asked Jack.
“Please call me Lia.” she said.
Crescia seemed a bit surprised that she would suggest that he address her with such familiarity, setting all titles aside.
“Oh. Thank you. So, uh, what I was trying to say, um, Lia, is that before you just told me a few moments ago, I had no clue that magic was a real thing, let alone what sort of affinity I might have for it.” said Jack.
“I see. Well, perhaps when you’re feeling better, we can get an affinity crystal in here to test your magic.” said Lia.
“Sure.” said Jack.
Lia smiled gently.
“Oh, by the way, how long have I been unconscious?” asked Jack.
Lia thought for a moment, briefly looking at Crescia.
“I’d say it’s been a little under three and a half weeks.” she said.
Crescia nodded in agreement.
“Three and a half weeks?!” said Jack, sitting up quickly, causing a significant amount of pain.
“Oww!” he said.
“Be careful.” said Lia.
Jack thought for a moment.
“Wait. If I’ve been unconscious for almost three and a half weeks, how am I not dead from starvation and dehydration?” he asked.
“You have Crescia to thank for that.” said Lia.
Crescia nodded with a smile beaming across her face, making her look like a child who had just been praised for getting an A+ on their report card.
“Yep! I cut your food up really small, chewed it up nice and soft, mixed it with water and used my water magic to feed you.” she said.
“Oh. Wow. Ok. That’s... uh... that’s kinda gross, but thank you. I appreciate the effort.” said Jack.
Crescia nodded again, continuing to smile like a child, completely ignoring the part about Jack saying that it was gross.
“So, you can use magic, Crescia?” asked Jack.
“Mmm hmm. I’m not super strong, but I have an affinity for water magic.” she said.
Jack chuckled.
“What?” asked Crescia.
“It’s just that, where I come from, cats and water generally don’t mix too well.” said Jack.
“Well, I think I mix pretty well.” said Crescia.
Jack smiled. He then went to adjust his position in bed and noticed something.
“Um... why am I naked? Where are my clothes?” he asked.
Lia cleared her throat, momentarily flustered at the thought that she had been conversing with a naked man.
“Uh, yes. Your clothes. They were badly damaged when you appeared. We’ll have someone prepare some new clothes for you.” she said, nodding to Crescia to get that started.
Crescia nodded and then left, waving to Jack as she exited the tent. Lia then stood up.
“Well, I have some things I must attend to. I will have some clothes and food brought to you. Once you’ve eaten, I’ll return later to give you a better description of what happened when you first appeared. If there’s nothing else?” she said.
Jack shook his head.
“No. Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Lia.” said Jack.
“You as well. We’ll speak again later.” Lia said.
Lia gave Jack a nod and left the tent.
Jack leaned back into the bed.
“So. This is actually happening. Grampa Art will definitely have some explaining to do when I get back... if I even can get back.” he said to himself.
He shifted in bed.
“Why did they even take my underwear? On second thought, I’m not sure I even want to know.” he said.
He reached his bandaged right arm over to the backpack and unzipped a side pocket. He then pulled out a spare pair of boxers from the pocket and put them on.
“Much better.” he said, after getting back under the sheets of the bed.
Chapter 5
About an hour had passed before Crescia returned with some clothes to replace the ones damaged during the battle. She placed them on the chair next to the bed and left to get Jack some food. By the time she returned, Jack had gotten dressed in the new supplied clothing. The pants were black with two pockets in the front and two in the back. The knees were reinforced with black leather patches. The supplied undershirt felt a little abrasive, so Jack dug into the backpack once again and was able to find the spare dark gray t-shirt he had packed. The long-sleeved shirt that was supplied was black in the torso, with dark blue sleeves. The shirt had a banded collar with two buttons, which he left unbuttoned. A leather vest and cloak were also included, but Jack decided to set those aside. He also chose to stick with his hiking boots over the supplied boots for the time being. He wasn’t in the mood to try to break in a new pair of boots after spending so long in bed. As he looked at himself in the mirror, he said a silent prayer for all the pockets of his original shirt and pants that would never serve their purpose.
Crescia returned with some food. She saw Jack in his new clothes.
“Well? How do I look?” asked Jack.
Crescia looked him up and down.
“You look... better?” she said.
“I’ll try to ignore that pause and the way that sounded more like a question than a statement and just say thanks.” Jack said with a smile.
Crescia placed the tray of food down on the small desk.
“Lady Lia will be with you shortly. Please eat.” she said.
“Thank you.” said Jack.
Crescia smiled and bowed before leaving the tent. Jack sat down at the desk to eat. On the plate were two small but thick slices of meat, some potatoes and what looked like white and purple carrot-like vegetables. As Jack ate, he thought to himself that, although this wasn’t his first meal since arriving, it did happen to be the first meal that he chewed and swallowed himself. He paused for a moment, realizing just how messed up of a thought that was, and then continued eating.
#####
It wasn’t long after Jack finished his meal that he heard Lia’s voice outside the tent.
“May I come in?” she asked.
“By all means.” said Jack.
Lia walked in with an older man behind her. The man was mostly concealed in a cloak, but Jack could see that he had long silver hair and a short beard. He was carrying an object the size of a serving tray wrapped in a blue cloth with gold trim. Jack arranged the two chairs and sat down on the bed.
“How are you feeling, Jack?” she asked.
Lia sat down, but the cloaked man remained standing by the opening of the tent.
“A lot less naked than before, thanks.” said Jack.
Lia was slightly flustered by his reply.
“Is Galdalf over there going to sit down, too?” asked Jack.
The man spoke.
“I know not of this Gandalf you speak of. My name is Bilen.” he said.
“Ok, then. Pop a squat, Bil. Take a load off.” said Jack.
“Pop a what?” Asked Bilen.
“It means have a seat.” said Jack, as he gestured to the empty chair.
Bilen looked over at Lia. She nodded. Bilen then walked over to the empty seat and sat down. He removed his hood, revealing that he, too, was an elf. He placed the item he was carrying in his lap.
Lia took a deep breath.
“You wanted to know what happened, so we’re here to tell you. For the last two hundred and fifty years, the Vedyrian Kingdom has been at war with the Dark Army. The ruler of the Dark Army is known only as the Great Demon Emperor. His true name has been lost to history. All that is known is that he was a Grand Mage who became so consumed by dark magic that he turned into a being so evil that words still don’t exist to properly describe him. His constant quest for more power led him to spread across the land like a plague, conquering kingdom after kingdom. Elf kingdoms, Beastfolk kingdoms and the kingdoms of men all fell in the wake of his evil. Those who fell in battle or were captured were turned into Demonborne and made soldiers of the Dark Army. The dark elves joined with the Great Demon Emperor of their own free will, hoping to capitalize on the ever expanding territory. Mages were turned into necromancers, like the ones who fired the triple-C’s when you first arrived. And then there’s the Draphnir. They are horrible beasts with razor-sharp claws that travel in packs and follow the commands of the necromancers on the battlefield. As long as they remain under the control of a necromancer, they will tear through anything in their way, with no sense of self-preservation.” she said.
“Sounds like a real friendly bunch.” Jack said sarcastically.
Lia continued.
“The remaining kingdoms and survivors all joined together under the flag of the Vedyrian Kingdom. We were engaged in what was a losing battle in the Arnin Canyon when you appeared. Somehow, when you appeared on the battlefield, you were able to absorb the massive amounts of magic from the triple-C’s, and then you directed an even more massive display of magic back at the Dark Army that left nothing of the enemy on the battlefield. You fell unconscious soon after and we brought you here.” she said.
“I see.” said Jack. “Could you do me a favor?”
Lia nodded.
“I still don’t have that much feeling in my arms, yet, so could you just pinch my leg as hard as you can?”
Lia looked a bit confused, but after Jack lifted his left leg in her direction, she gave it a hard pinch.
“Oww!” said Jack.
“For what reason did you wish for me to do that?” Lia asked.
“Just checking something.” said Jack, confirming in his mind that this wasn’t a dream.
He then lowered his leg before continuing.
“So, to sum up, I somehow traveled through something called the Worldgate, fell down a canyon and found myself in the middle of a battle in a long running war between good and evil, with you guys being the good guys, and I have some sort of super scary magical powers I didn’t know that I had. Does that pretty much sum it up?” he said.
“I guess if you want to put it in simplest terms, yes.” said Lia.
“Ok. Cool. That tracks. So what’s the deal with Bil, here?” asks Jack as he gestures toward Bilen.
“Bil is... excuse me, Bilen is here to determine what magical affinities you possess.” Lia said as she pointed toward the item wrapped on Bilen’s lap.
Bilen then removed the fabric covering the item to reveal a large hexagonal crystal mounted to a wooden backing, with a metal frame around the crystal. The center of the crystal was slightly raised with six triangular facets leading down to the metal frame. Bilen stood up and then placed the object on the seat. Lia turned back to Jack.
“This is a magical affinity scale. It measures the strength of your magic and the affinities that you possess.” she said.
Jack takes a closer look at the scale.
“What do you mean by affinities?” he asked.
Bilen spoke.
“Magic is divided into six affinities. There is fire magic, water magic, wind magic, earth magic, light magic and dark magic. Each facet of this crystal indicates a different affinity and the glow indicates the strength. When it comes to magic users, many have only one affinity. Some have two or three. There are very few, such as Her Highness, who have an affinity for four types of magic.” he said.
“Fire, water, earth and light magic, to be specific.” said Lia.
Jack tilts his head back in thought.
“Ok, fire, water, wind and earth magic all sound somewhat self-explanatory. I assume that it involves manipulating those elements in some way. But what’s the deal with light magic? Do you use that to make it bright and dark magic to make it dark?” he asked.
Lia smiled.
“Light magic is used for things such as healing, restoration, purification and protection spells. Dark magic is destructive magic. It’s powerful, but it starts to damage the user the more it is used. Used extensively, it can even corrupt a soul.” she said.
“Well, that doesn’t sound very good.” said Jack. “So, how does this gauge work?”
“With your permission, your Highness?” said Bilen as he gestured to the scale. Lia nodded, approving his request to demonstrate.
“First, you must close your eyes and imagine energy flowing through your body. Then imagine it flowing to your hand. Then imagine it flowing to your index finger. One you have done that, place the index finger on the apex of the crystal and it will show you what affinities you possess.”
As Bilen gave the explanation, he demonstrated each step. When he placed his index finger on the apex of the crystal, three facets began to glow. The fire facet glowed a bright red. The water facet glowed a bright blue, and the light facet glowed a bright white. Bilen spoke again.
“As you can see, I have an affinity for three types of magic, and the intensity of the glow shows that my magic is quite strong in these affinities. Now, your Highness?” said Bilen, as he gestured for Lia to demonstrate her affinities on the gauge, as well.
Lia placed her index finger on the apex of the crystal and four facets began to glow. The first was the red facet. Then the blue facet, then the green facet and then the white facet. The glow of each facet slowly grew in intensity, indicating that Lia was quite powerful with the four attributes of magic that she possessed.
“Nice.” said Jack.
“And now, it is your turn.” said Bilen.
“Uh... shouldn’t we take this collar off, first?” said Jack. “If I remember correctly, you said that this thing suppresses magic.”
“That is true.” said Lia.
She gave a nod to Bilen, who walked over to Jack, placed two fingers of his right hand against the clasp of the collar, spoke a silent incantation and then the collar was released. Jack rubbed his neck where the collar once rested.
“Thanks.” he said.
Jack then took a deep breath and tried to imagine the energy inside him was flowing like a river, but when he didn’t feel anything, his mind began to wander a bit. Various phrases entered his thoughts. Phrases like “Use the force!” and “There is no spoon.” and “You’re a wizard, Harry.” entered his thoughts and made him smile. Not sure if he was actually getting anywhere, he decided to try touching the apex of the crystal anyway. The moment he touched it, it began to react. Each facet began to glow, one after the other, until the light was blinding. Jack took his finger off the crystal the moment it shattered into several pieces, making a loud popping sound like a flash bulb on an old camera. Jack was taken by surprise and leaped back, placing himself completely on the mattress.
“Crap! I’m so sorry! Was that expensive? That looked expensive. Did I break it?” he said.
Bilen took another look at the now broken gauge.
“Impossible! And all six attributes! Your Highness, a word, please!” he said, as he moved toward the opening of the tent, waving to Lia to follow.
“Excuse us for a moment.” Lia said to Jack, as she stood up and followed him outside of the tent.
As they left, Jack poked at the gauge, causing a shard of the crystal to fall to the floor. He quickly picked up the shard and tried to place it back where it was, with limited success. He then backed up onto the bed again, worried that he might be in trouble.
#####
Outside the tent, Bilen leaned in close to Lia.
“Your Highness, we must be cautious with that human! To possess all six attributes and with such power, he could be a bigger threat to us than the Great Demon Emperor, himself! His magic is chaotic! He has the potential to level a country or even split the world!” he said.
“From what I have seen of him, he seems to be a kind man. I sense no hostile or evil intentions from him. And if he is truly as strong as you say, imagine the help he could provide us in defeating the Dark Army. You saw what he did at the canyon.” said Lia.
“He must be controlled, Your Highness! He has no idea of his power and no knowledge of how to control it! Regardless of intent, he could level this entire camp even by mistake! We should return the collar to his neck at once!” said Bilen.
“He is our guest, Bilen. Not our prisoner. We simply need to teach him how to control his powers, and if you will not do so, I will teach him myself.” Lia said in a stern tone.
Bilen collected himself for a moment, took a deep breath and stood up straight.
“As you wish, Your Highness. But let it be known that I advised against it.” he said.
“Noted.” said Lia. “You may go.”
Bilen bowed to her before turning around and walking away.
#####
Lia returned to the tent to find Jack still sitting on the bed, looking like a child who had just broken an expensive vase. He had put the collar back on his own neck and was repeatedly trying to latch it.
“I’m so sorry about breaking your gauge. I didn’t mean to do it. You’re not going to have me executed or anything now, are you?” he asked.
Lia smiled.
“No, Jack. It’s ok. You just caught us both by surprise. That’s all. There’s no need for that collar, anymore. You can stop trying to put it back on.” she said.
“Oh.” said Jack, as he set the collar down on the bed. “So... what now?” he asked.
“For now, I think you should get some rest. Tomorrow, I think we should work on teaching you how to control your magic.” she said.
“Yeah. Sure. That sounds like a good plan. Let’s do that.” said Jack, as he nodded rapidly.
“Very well. Then I bid you good night, Jack.” said Lia, as she gave a slight bow of her head.
“Yeah, uh... good night, Lia. Sweet dreams.” he said, still flustered by what had just transpired.
Having never heard that before, Lia found the saying quite interesting.
“Hmm. Yes. I like that. I wish you sweet dreams as well, Jack.” she said with a gentle smile.
Lia then left the tent. The evening light was much dimmer than the light that had first shown in when they had entered, leading Jack to finally realize just how long they had been talking. He flopped back down on the bed and let out a big sigh before grabbing the blanket and pulling it over his head.
“Smooth, Jack. Real smooth.” he said.
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